Thursday March 15, 2:45 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Freedom House human rights organization has recognized Falun Gong and four other groups as "defenders of religious rights" in China at a ceremony attended by members of U.S. Congress.

Winners of the International Religious Freedom Award, given by the group's Center for Religious Freedom program on Wednesday night, also included [...].

"There can scarcely be a more timely subject than religious freedom in China. There is no religious freedom there, only religious persecution," Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jesse Helms told the ceremony.

China's 19-month battle with the Falun Gong spiritual group it banned in 1999 has sparked international concern about abuse of religious freedom and civil liberties, and was a highlight of a U.S. State Department rights report issued last month.

President George W. Bush has put China on notice that Washington will again sponsor a motion at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva this year condemning Beijing's record. The resolution sparks tension every year.

Helms, a North Carolina Republican and long-time critic of China's [...] government, said the award was also timely considering that the International Olympic Committee is due to decide in July whether to award the 2008 Games to Beijing.

Erping Zhang, accepting the award to the Falun Dafa (Gong) Association on behalf of founder Li Hongzhi, read out a statement from Li mocking the Chinese [government] and its crackdown on the group.

"Numerous people have been able to attain good health (from the practice of Falun Gong) and along the way, it has helped people improve their moral standard. All of this has seriously threatened the wicked nature of the party," Li said.

"This is the real reason why Falun Gong is persecuted in China. The goodness has challenged the evil's nature," he said.

Falun Gong Followers Detained

Since Falun Gong was banned, tens of thousands of followers have been detained for protesting in Tiananmen Square. Human rights groups say thousands of members are in labour camps and more than 100 have died of abuse in police custody. ...

Freedom House describes itself as a non-partisan organisation that supports popular aspirations for freedom, peace and security.

It said its award was aimed at recognising groups that have drawn world attention to "the severe persecution that Chinese [...] people are now forced to endure to follow their consciences." [...]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010315/3/k7gk.html

Category: Falun Dafa in the Media